The Iron Mountain-Kingsford Zonta Club, Hannahville Indian Community and the Bay College Foundation have teamed up to host a REDress event to raise awareness for the ongoing crisis of violent crimes against Indigenous victims from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the college on north U.S. 2 in Iron Mountain.

The Zonta Club’s collection of more than 50 red dresses are featured throughout the atrium, as well as outside along the paved walkway that leads from the parking lot to the lower level of the atrium.

“The impact of seeing empty red dresses fluttering in the wind gives you the chills,” Zonta Club member Gail Vornkahl said. “It’s overwhelming and haunting at times.”

Event highlights will include guest speakers, workshops, indigenous food tastings and a silent auction.

ZONTA CLUB MEMBER Lisa Bosley hangs a red dress, which represents one of the countless missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, along the walkway of Bay College Iron Mountain Campus. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

The REDress Project was first installed at the University of Winnipeg by Canadian Metis artist Jaime Black in 2009.

Using an outdoor display of red dresses, Black sought to draw attention to the issue of violent crimes against Native women by evoking a visceral response in viewers of the empty dresses the victims should be wearing.

“The color red was used as it is symbolic of lifeblood and is believed by Native peoples to be the only color spirits can see,” Vornkahl said.

Black then brought the art installation to several Canadian universities and in 2019, it came to the United States at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.

This spring, Michigan State University hosted a REDress Project Exhibition on its campus, Vornkahl added.

ZONTA ALSO HAS placed red dresses in the lower level of the Bay College Iron Mountain building as part of the REDress display to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

The Iron Mountain-Kingsford Club of Zonta International, whose mission is to make the world a better place by empowering women and girls through service and advocacy, took on this project to help bring awareness and open a dialogue on the issue within the Upper Peninsula.

Vornkahl said Zonta members reached out to the Hannahville Indian Community to learn if and how this issue has affected their community.

“They explained to us how terrible the situation is — and even have a loved one that is gone,” she said, adding they agreed to work with the club to bring the REDress event to Iron Mountain.

Zonta International’s USA Caucus, of which the local club is a member, shares a Project Sheet on this topic:

When compared with national averages, Indigenous women are 2.5 times more likely to be assaulted, two times more likely to be stalked, five times more likely to experience interracial violence and 10 times more likely to be murdered.

More than 1 in 3 Indigenous women will be raped in her lifetime and 6 in 10 will be physically assaulted.

“The statistics are mind-blowing,” Vornkahl said.

Attendees will be able to experience the REDress installation, and listen to presentations about Native American culture and history, and the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

They will conduct workshops on making dreamcatcher and medicine wheels, as well as sampling Indigenous foods.

The walking trail behind the college will be available for reflection after the event.

As part of REDress event activities, Zonta will have a silent auction. Items will include Native American jewelry, a handmade quilt and afghan, Native American books and a stained-glass window panel of a dreamcatcher.

Proceeds of the silent auction, as well as donations for REDress pins created specifically for the event, will go toward a scholarship for a Native American studying at Bay College.

Those unable to make the event Wednesday can view the dress display at Bay College through Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Vornkahl noted that several local businesses have also joined in the support, displaying red dresses in their storefront windows.

The community is encouraged to attend and learn how to help advocate for the thousands of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.